I have been using a stand alone induction burner for over 3 years now in addition to my gas stove, there is a LOT to love about induction.
I enjoy the insane amounts of heat they put out instantly
They only heat the pot
They make far less mess, vapors, and heat
They are VERY precise
They are fairly energy efficient compared to the alternatives
However, there are a few things that I have a problem with and have been holding me back...
Noise - the high pitched sound is ear splitting to me and my wife, not super loud just very painful due to sensitivity. I have been told that the noise is due to different layers of cladding heating at different rates and this causes noise. However, I can even hear heavy cast iron/enamel cast iron and ANY stainless pan makes a terrible noise due to the cladding. Some say that high quality pans do not emit this noise but I have cuisinart, calphalon, all clad and Vollrath tribute and with all those different quality makes, they all make the high pitch noise so that theory is hogwash. I have also heard that high quality built in units to do not have this problem like the cheapo portable ones, I hope this is true but I have used one at friends before and still heard the high pitch wine.
Non-magnetic pans - I bought a collection of hand made copper cookware from a french chef in an estate sale and love to use it. The copper conducts heat like nothing else, and I enjoy the heritage of the cookware I currently have, but its not magnetic. Also, I have grown to love my T fal ultimate nonstick cookware for eggs ect., now I can't use these either. The little plates that you can use to adopt a non magnetic pan for use on an induction burner don't work well at all.
No oven beneath the cooktops - I have grown spoiled by using a commercial gas range at home in college and want to have one in my house someday again. I love being able to pan roast things by taking them straight from the cooktop down to the oven, there are no commercial induction cooktops with an oven beneath, this means I would have to carry the hot pan to wherever the wall ovens are in my kitchen renovation. (I know all the issues about commercial cookware at home, lets have that discussion elsewhere)
The biggest problem by far is the noise issue, I could learn to live with the other problems, do I just need to go to few more rock concerts so my hearing isn't so good?